Great Smoky Mountain Annual Festival Of Christmas Past

Great Smoky Mountain Annual Festival Of Christmas Past Saturday, December 14, 2019. The event will be held at Sugarlands Visitor Center beginning at 9:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

This event is family friendly so make plans to bring your entire bunch. Many activities are planned including  mountain skills demonstrations, Christmas caroling, shape note singing, live traditional mountain music, and a fascinating living history walking tour. Park staff and visitors have developed a unique, immersive experience allowing you to make a journey through different holiday traditions from the last century. These traditions will be displayed in exhibits of hand made decorations, Christmas toys and more! Hot apple cider will be available to take the chill off your bones so come thirsty!

“This year we wanted to connect our visitors to Christmas through the decades with the creative vision and talent of our staff, volunteers, and local decorators Barry Phillips and Tracie Story,” said North District Resource Education Supervisor Stephanie Sutton. “The Festival of Christmas Past allows us to pause and remember some of these valuable holiday traditions.”

The ‘Christmas Memories Walk’ will begin at 1:00 p.m. Costumed interpreters will bring the history of the Smokies to life shining light on significant moments leading to the park’s establishment.

Program Schedule:

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.    Traditional Shape Note Singing

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon  Music by Boogertown Gap

12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.    Music by the Lost Mill String Band

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.       Smoky Mountain Historical Society

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.       Christmas Memories Walk

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.       Music by Mike and Kathy Gwinn

Sugarlands Visitor Center is located on Newfound Gap Road, two miles south of Gatlinburg, TN.  For more information, call the visitor center at 865-436-1291.

Smoky Mountain Online Banking

 

Smoky Mountain Online Banking. Paying attention to a few details can go a long way toward boosting your online banking security.

Online banking can greatly simplify your life, allowing you to make a mortgage payment or check an account balance anywhere with just a few clicks. But ignoring online banking best practices can leave you vulnerable to hacking. Follow these online banking safety tips to help keep your digital financial life simple — and secure.

Get password savvy

One recent study found that over 23 million users had passwords that included “123456” in the string. That’s a hack waiting to happen. Random collections of completely unrelated characters, including uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols are best. One idea is to choose a phrase or mantra (“Travelmorethisyear19&) or song lyric and add a unique numeric code (“Storyofmylife75!”). Occasionally change your password, especially if your financial institution announces that hackers have stolen credentials from some users, and never use the same password you’ve used somewhere else.

Two-factor is your friend

When you sign up for two-factor authentication (2FA) with your bank, you need both a password and a special code to access your accounts. That may be a text message or a mobile app that gives you an access code every time you try to log in to your account. Password-protect your laptop and smartphone, too.

Do a regular check-in

Make an appointment on your calendar to regularly check your accounts for debits or transfers you don’t recognize. You can also sign up for text or email alerts about suspicious activity, online transactions or purchases above a certain threshold.

Beware the phishing scams

Hackers have gotten more sophisticated, spoofing your bank’s logos and language to send emails that seem to be legitimate. These are commonly called phishing scams, and they typically allude to a problem with an account that needs a fix — immediately. However, once you click on a link, you’re directed to a fake site that asks for your username and password, which is where the hackers are able to nab your digital details. If you receive an email that looks suspicious or asks for personal information, call your bank instead at the phone number you know is correct, not the number in the email — and don’t click on any links.

Take note of public Wi-Fi

If you’re in a public spot such as a coffee shop and log in to that free wireless option, a hacker may be able to more easily access the network. Instead, use your cellular network or your smartphone as a hotspot for your computer. Or, wait until you’ve accessed your secure home network to dig into your bank account.

Keep devices updated

Tech companies are constantly monitoring their software for weak spots or security breaches and often release updates to help fix those issues. Set up your devices for automatic updates.

For more information contact Lee Lofton, State Farm.

Smoky Mountain Long Cold Full Moon

Smoky Mountain Long Cold Full Moon is on the rise! The final full moon for 2019 and the decade will reach its apex at 12:12 a.m. on December 12th. This lunar event is sometimes called the “Long Night’s Moon” or the “Full Cold Moon.” During this moon phase the moon will sit above the horizon much longer than it normally does.

The “Long Cold” moon is the harbinger of the bleakness associated with the beginning of winter. This event is followed by colder average temperatures and more hours of darkness. The winter solstice (the official start of winter) occurs on December 21st, a full week after the Long Cold Moon.

Be on the lookout for the moon to appear a few minutes before sunset. The moon should be visible in the Smoky Mountains by 5:10 p.m. That time assumes you are in a spot with a good vantage point like Clingmans Dome or Cades Cove. If you are down in a deep holler it could be much later and depending on the surrounding mountains you may not see the moon at all.

Bonus Smoky Mountain Astrological Tip – Don’t miss the Geminid Meteor Shower! This is the most active meteor shower of the year and you should be able to see hundreds of meteors in a few hours. This event happens early to mid December each year. Typically the best viewing is December 13th. This year the show may be a little more difficult to see thanks to its competition with the moon. With the Full Cold moon happening almost in unison with the shower the sky will be brighter than normal. Try your luck around 9:00 p.m. on the 13th by looking toward the darkest region of sky in your area.

Watching the full moon rise and counting meteors is a Smoky Mountain tradition for the team at HeySmokies.com. We count shooting stars until our neck hurts and then we count some more. We will be making a special shooting star wish for peace and happiness for all our HeySmokies fans! We appreciate your support this year and look forward to sharing more of our Smoky Mountain secrets with you in the new year! We hope all of your shooting star wishes come true!

Smoky Mountain Winterfest

Smoky Mountain Winterfest begins November 22, 2019 and runs through February 15, 2020. This celebration of light gives our mountain communities in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg new life during the cold winter months.

There will be amazing holiday lights on display, trolley tours, parades, and Christmas shows this winter in the Smokies. The lights are easy to find along Highway 66 and the Parkway. Many area landmarks get in on the fun and light up their properties too! The Titanic museum in Pigeon Forge magically changes into a winter wonderland becoming the epitome of grace and splendor! Everyone’s favorite historical spot, The Old Mill, gets in the spirit with a colorful covered bridge made with thousands of twinkling lights. The Space Needle, in Gatlinburg, will lift your spirits in more ways than one. Its festive lighting system can be seen from all over town and the summit of Mount LeConte!

There will be many special events for the entire family to enjoy during this time including the Gatlinburg Chili Cook Off and Smoky Mountain Tunes And Tales. Even Old Saint Nick himself can get a little inspiration with all of this going on. Who knows? He may make a special appearance at the Gatlinburg Fantasy of Lights Parade in Gatlinburg on December 6th to get a few ideas for the North Pole.

Make plans to bring your entire family to the mountains this winter and experience the wonder of Smoky Mountain Winterfest for yourself. You will be glad you did!

Smoky Mountain Synchronous Firefly Event 2020

Smoky Mountain Synchronous Firefly Event 2020. It’s never to early to start making plans to see the Synchronous Fireflies (and the Blue Ghost Fireflies) that will light up the night sky in late May and early June 2020 in the Great Smoky Mountains. Firefly viewing in the Smokies has become such a popular event that there are now several venues available to enjoy the spectacular shows.

The Synchronous Firefly (Photinus carolinus) and the Blue Ghost Firefly (Phausis reticulata) are two species that are found only in the Southern Appalachian Mountains which include the Great Smokies. And during the short mating season in late May and early June, both firefly species put on quite a show to behold! The male Synchronous Firefliesflash their little green-yellow bioluminescent lanterns in unison for about 6-8 blinks and then they go dark for a few seconds creating a sublime wave of light throughout the forest. The male Blue Ghost Fireflies don’t flash their blue-white lanterns, instead they glow continuously just a few inches above the ground. The ethereal experience of either nighttime show should be on everyone’s bucket list!  National Park scientists mostly use air and soil temperatures to predict the timing of each year’s mating season.

Synchronous Fireflies with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
One of the most popular places to view the Synchronous Fireflies is in Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This event has become so popular that a free lottery system was instituted for parking passes for the eight-day shuttle period to Elkmont. During this time of peak viewing, Elkmont is closed at nighttime with the exception of shuttle users and campers in Elkmont Campground. Dates for the 2020 Lottery and Elkmont Shuttle will be announced sometime in April 2020. HeySmokies will keep you updated, so be sure to check back with us. We’ll provide you all the details of what you need to know to register for the lottery. For more information in the meantime, visit Recreation.gov.

Synchronous Fireflies with Discover Life in America in Gatlinburg, TN

For a few nights during peak firefly viewing time, Discover Life in America hosts a fundraising event featuring nightly presentations and field walks at the Norton Creek Sanctuary near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Tickets for the event are $100 each and the event is geared toward persons ages 10 and older. For reservations for this exclusive event, call Discover Life in America at 865-430-4757 or email todd@dlia.org

Blue Ghost Fireflies in DuPont State Recreational Forest near Asheville, NC
DuPont State Forest is located in Cedar Mountain, NC about 30 miles outside of Asheville. Due to the popularity of this location in recent years, some of the trails in the High Falls parking area will be closed during peak viewing season. Because the female Blue Ghosts stay on the ground, many have been killed by visitors wandering off of the designated trails. For more information, visit DuPont State Forest.

Fireflies on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Overlooks along the Blue Ridge Parkway are a great place to view starry nights as well as the fireflies in June! Usually the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center in Asheville offers a family-friendly firefly viewing event. For more information, visit Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center.

Grandfather Mountain

It’s glow time as the discovery of Synchronous fireflies light up Grandfather Mountain. grandfather mountain is in Linville, North Carolina.

Grandfather Mountain’s staff and experts expressed glowing enthusiasm for the recent discovery of Photinus carolinus, the only species of firefly in North America whose individuals can synchronize their lighting display (or flash in unison).

It was a serendipitous discovery on Grandfather Mountain. Dr. Claude Sorenson, an entomologist from North Carolina State University, was hosting a workshop on the mountain and spending the night in the park’s guest cottage near the Woods Walk when he decided to find out what type fireflies might call this high altitude home. When he saw a few fireflies about 9:30 p.m. Sorenson knew these were no ordinary ones. “As it got dark, the numbers steadily went up and between 10 and 10:30 p.m., there were several hundred all around the guest cottage and Woods Walk, flashing synchronously,” Sorenson was quoted as saying. He confirmed his findings with East Tennessee naturalist Lyn Faust, an expert on the subject who has written a field guide on fireflies. Sorenson referred to Faust as “one of the best resources for anyone who is interested in learning more about these critters.”

Synchronous behavior is rare in fireflies. According to Sorenson, there are only a handful of this particular species around the world that do this, and for a long time, the amazing spectacle of large numbers synchronizing has been associated with a few geographical areas that range from New York to Georgia.

Sorenson’s recent discovery was at 4,200 feet compared to the fireflies in Elkmont, GSMNP at 2,200 feet.  Grandfather’s elevation range begins at 3,000 feet and peaks at nearly 6,000 feet. At the top, where temperatures are colder, the fireflies flashed in slower cadence, reported Amy Renfranz, Grandfather Mountains’ director of education, speaking of survey observations near the park’s Mile High Swinging Bridge. During one survey, Franz noted more than 1,000 fireflies from one overlook.

As a general rule, fireflies, at most locations, are active for about two to three weeks. Due to the great elevation span of Grandfather, the display could last longer, Franz said. The show could start at the bottom of the mountain in early June and continue well into July at increased elevations, providing a bonus for the scientific community as well as spectators.

Jesse Pope, president and executive director of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, a non-profit organization that owns and operates the park, was excited about the news and said the discovery goes hand-in-hand with Grandfather Mountain’s mission to inspire conservation of the natural world by helping guests explore, understand and value the wonders of Grandfather.  “That’s something that makes Grandfather Mountain so special, that a visitor could do the discovering,” Pope was quoted as saying.

The park staff is already preparing for next year’s light show, brought to you compliments of Mother Nature.

For more information on the fireflies or other interesting events on Grandfather Mountain, call 800-468-7325, or visit www.grandfather.com

Both firefly species are common in other areas of Southern Appalachia and just perhaps during the month of June, you stay outside until around 10:00 p.m. when it’s good and dark and you sit quietly, you may be surprised at the light show in your very own backyard!